 |
| François Hollande and Paul Biya |
President Paul
Biya may have brought to an end the debate on whether he would seek another
mandate at the helm of the nation after his current mandate ends in 2018. The
President made his cynical stand on the issue last Friday during the state
visit to Cameroon of French President Francois Hollande.
A French
journalist put a question to Biya if he would seek another mandate when his
current mandae ends in 2018. In response, Biya said he is not in power because
he wants it but because the people want him.
“It doesn’t take
mere wish to stay in power, but he who can. I am not in power today because I
want but because the people want. I have not used force to stay in power. We
went in for elections with other candidates and I won. It is certain that
elections will hold in 2018, but 2018 is still a long way. So let’s wait until
2018 comes for me to declare my intentions whether to seek another mandate or
take my retirement” the President said.
Biya should have
left power long in 2011 following the 1996 constitution which gave him a
possibility of just two mandates of seven year each. But in 2008, he tabled a
bill in parliament to revise the article which limited the presidential term to
two mandates. That bill was voted and he immediately promulgated it into law. That
gave him the leeway to seek for re–election in 2011.
No comments:
Post a Comment